Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has launched a portfolio-wide mobile tipping solution for its U.S. and Canadian franchisees. Wyndham’s new mobile tipping solution will let guests digitally tip housekeepers and other frontline hotel staff.
Developed and managed by Béné, the platform lets guests tip hotel team members digitally via their preferred mobile device and is now available for adoption by Wyndham franchisees across all brands.
"The pandemic dramatically accelerated guest demand for digital payment solutions and that trend will only continue in the coming years," Wyndham Hotels & Resorts CIO Scott Strickland said in a statement. "Having previously empowered our franchisees to accept digital, contactless payment for stays at their hotels, the next logical step was to find a solution that allows guests to recognize housekeepers, wait staff and other frontline team members in a similar fashion. This platform does exactly that and at virtually no cost to franchisees."
Once a hotel opts in and is set up on the Béné platform, guests can recognize the team member of their choice by scanning a QR code during their stay and choosing how much they would like to tip. QR codes are unique to each team member and tips are deposited daily either directly into their individual bank accounts or into the property's account to be distributed with regular payroll. The platform accepts multiple forms of payment, including credit card, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Similar to other digital payment services, platform costs are covered by guests via a small transaction fee, leaving franchisees responsible only for basic marketing materials, which they can either order directly from Béné at a minimal cost or create themselves.
"The beauty of this solution is its simplicity and how easy it is for our franchisees to allow their guests to make the switch from cash to digital," Strickland said. "There's no app to download and no software to install. It's entirely web-based, which means so long as guests have a phone and an internet connection, they're able to tip and show their appreciation."
Mobile tipping is the newest initiative as part of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts ongoing, multiyear, digital transformation. Over the past three years, the company has significantly invested in new technology to enhance the guest experience while delivering best-in-class resources and enhanced operational efficiencies for its franchisees. Earlier this year, it launched Road Trip Planner, a new tool allowing travelers to plot, plan and book a road trip via Wyndham's mobile app. More recently, the company debuted RevIQ, a cloud-based, mobile-first revenue management system designed to help franchisees optimize their revenue strategies and grow market share.